MCTM’s Mission Statement

Sara Van Der Werf

President, MCTM

Teacher, Minneapolis South High School

Earlier this year, when I began my role as President of MCTM, I decided it was important that I really read and try to understand our organization’s mission statement. When is the last time you read MCTM’s mission statement? If you are like me, it had been a long time and the last time I did I just kind of glossed over the words. Take a moment right now and slowly read the mission statement of MCTM.

MCTM’s Mission Statement

The MCTM is an organization of professionals dedicated to promoting the teaching and learning of meaningful mathematics for all students by supporting educators in their efforts to improve mathematics education.

If you are a member of MCTM, then this is not just my mission, but yours as well. Over the next 7 months, I plan to write one article a month in MathBits highlighting what I believe the words professionals, promoting, teaching, learning, meaningful, all, supporting and improve mean to me and our organization. I’d love to hear what you think about what I write. Email me at sarav@mpls.k12.mn.us or tweet me @saravdwerf. Here is the first of seven articles.   In November I will start with the word ‘Professionals’. Warning, this month’s article is a long one. Future month’s articles will be much shorter, but I challenge you to take the time to at least skim the article below. Thank you in advance.

‘Professionals’

Professional: adjective; relating to a job that requires special education, training, or skill

• It’s 8:00 am on the Friday of MEA and I am driving to pick up a nationally known math blogger to drive together to a daylong EdCamp Math and Science Conference at Eden Prairie High School. I could be sleeping in and enjoying a day off, but instead I am excited to connect with math teachers from around the metro area.
• It’s 11:58 am on a Tuesday and I am headed to room 224s to eat lunch with the 14 math teachers in my department at South High School. I have photocopying to do, but it is more important to me to connect with my coworkers.
• It is 11pm on a school night and I just received an email from a 1^st year teacher overwhelmed by the profession. She is the only math teacher at her site. I quickly send an email to her inviting her out for coffee Saturday morning.
• I am standing in line at a grocery store reading through my twitter feeds. The 5^th person in 4 days has mentioned the book “Culturally Responsive Training and the Brain”. I email 2 math teacher friends from other schools and see if they want to read the book with me.
• It is 9:30 pm on a Thursday, and I am texting my coworker who I co-plan lessons with each day. We are tweaking our lesson plan in a few short lines after she puts her son to bed.

Listed above are 5 moments from my life as a teacher during the last week. I share these moments with you as a practical picture of what I believe a ‘professional’ might look like is in the world of mathematics teachers.  This is what I think, but what do people who are smarter than I am think? To find out I consulted the National Teachers of Mathematics (NCTM).

NCTM’s Principles to Action document (pp. 98-108), released in 2014, defines 6 guiding principles for mathematics teaching. The sixth principle is ‘professionalism’ which NCTM defines as: “In an excellent mathematics program, educators hold themselves and their colleagues accountable for the mathematical success of every student and for personal and collective professional growth toward effective teaching and learning of mathematics. Professionals who are responsible for students’ mathematics learning are never satisfied with their accomplishments and are always working to increase the impact that they have on their students’ mathematics learning. Moreover, they cultivate and support a culture of professional collaboration and continual improvement that is driven by an abiding sense of interdependence and collective responsibility.”   WOW. Just WOW.  When I read what NCTM had to say, here is what I thought:

• Do I hold myself accountable for the success of EVERY student?
• EVERY is a big word. I am comfortable with the word ‘most’, but I am not sure about EVERY. Every student seems hard.
• I know I say I believe ‘all students can learn’, but do my actions as a professional match this belief?
• Do I see it as my job to change what I do in the classroom to assure the success of EVERY student?
• I can’t do this alone.
• I need people to help me.
• Oh, and it says I should hold my colleagues accountable for the math success of EVERY student.
• I am kind of obsessed with the word EVERY.
• The word EVERY kind of scares me if I am being honest.
• In public I might say I am working hard towards EVERY, but in private the word EVERY scares me. I don’t feel like I have the time and energy to do this.
• That said, EVERY challenges me like no other word in my career.
• If I can’t yet figure out how to assure the mathematical success of every student, then I must do something.
• I need to hold myself accountable for personal professional growth toward effective teaching and learning of math (or so says NCTM).
• What does it mean for me to hold myself accountable for professional growth? How do I do this?
• It says I should hold my colleagues accountable too.
• Am I satisfied? No, I’ve never thought I’ve figured out everything to reach every student. I may have been the lead for math in Minneapolis and I am the President of MCTM, but I am NOT satisfied. (whew – at least I am getting this right).
• Being a math leader always makes me feel like a bit of a fraud. I have not completely figured out how to educate every student in my classroom yet.
• I can name several students right now that are not experiencing success in mathematics in my classroom this year. I am not satisfied. I have more to learn.
• Do I cultivate a culture of professional collaboration?
• ….and so many more things….

Ok, I know, I know – that is a lot of thoughts and I am making this article super long. I share the thoughts above because I suspect many of you feel the way I do. We call ourselves mathematics professionals because we joyfully entered a job that requires special training, skills and education. What I did not know as a 22 year old professional is that this job would 24 years later still require me to pursue training and skills to pursue the goal of ‘every’ student successful in mathematics. Lucky for my 22 year old self, I began my career in a setting that valued and modeled lifelong learning in the teaching profession. I also began my career in one of the most stressful teaching settings the state of MN has to offer. The only way I survived was to create a family of education professionals around me. I learned early on that I only grow if I see myself as interdependent on others.

One thing I love about reading NCTM’s Principles to Actions document is they have all these charts contrasting unproductive and productive beliefs about mathematics education. Here are just a few (you should check out the rest) taken from the ‘professionalism section’. Where do you see yourself and your school in this chart?

Beliefs about Professionalism in Mathematics Education -taken from NCTM’s Principles to Action, 2014
UNPRODUCTIVE BELIEFS	PRODUCTIVE BELIEFS
A deep understanding of mathematics content is sufficient for effective teaching.	Teachers of mathematics continue to learn throughout their careers in the areas of mathematical knowledge for teaching, mathematical knowledge for teaching, mathematical pedagogical knowledge, and knowledge of students as learners of mathematics.
Effective teachers can work autonomously and in isolation.   As long as the students in one’s own classroom are successful, all is well.	Teachers who collaborate with colleagues inside and outside their school are more effective. All mathematics teachers are collectively responsible for student learning, the improvement of the professional knowledge base and everyone’s effectiveness.
Highly effective teachers have an innate and natural ability to provide innovative instruction that results in high levels of student achievement	Highly effective teachers become master teachers over time by continually improving their mathematical knowledge for teaching, mathematical pedagogical skills and knowledge of students as learners of mathematics.
The textbook and digital resources provide all the necessary lesson plans and activities, so teachers have no need to engage in detailed unit & lesson planning.	Effective mathematics teaching results from purposeful planning.   Highly effective teachers collaborate to design detailed mathematics lessons and then reflect on the effectiveness of those plans for student learning in a cycle of continuous improvement.

NCTM’s Principles to Action document ends with an entire section titled ‘Take Action!’ with ideas for policy makers, principals and teachers. The actions described for policy makers and principals are GREAT. You should share them with the leaders in your district, but I am going to end this month’s article with actions for teachers, since the majority of our members in MCTM are teachers and ultimately the only change we can control in our profession is the change we take for ourselves. Here are a few of NCTM’s action items for ‘professionalism’.

• Continually grow in knowledge of mathematics for teaching, mathematical pedagogical knowledge and knowledge of students as learners of mathematics.
• Demand opportunities for professional development and collaboration that strengthen mathematics content knowledge and the implementation of mathematical teaching practices.
• Collaborate with colleagues on issues of access and equity, curriculum, instruction, tools and technology, assessment and professional growth.
• Assume collective responsibility for learning of all students in the school.
• Join and participate in local, state, or national professional organizations.

I will finally end with a few additional action items (challenges) from my personal journey as a mathematics professional in the state of Minnesota.

• My favorite years as a math teacher have been the last 2. Last year I approached my friend and colleague, Sonja Krasean and said “Let’s try co-planning our lessons and see how it goes. If it doesn’t work, we can stop”. A year later, we had jointly co-planned every 7^th grade math lesson for the entire year. We were not given time to do this, but we did it anyway. Most of our planning happened after 8pm over the phone or a set of text messages and in the 5 minutes we could find before school or during lunch each day. My lessons were so much better because of Sonja. I thank her.   I learned so much from her last year. I also had fun. No one told me to do this. No one told Sonja did this. We coplanned, because we were not satisfied that alone we were meeting the needs of EVERY student and we believed together we are better. I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE A PROFSSION BY FINDING A TEACHER TO COPLAN WITH – EVEN IF THEY ARE AT ANOTHER SCHOOL OR EVEN IF IT IS FOR JUST ONE LESSON.
• This school year I am co-planning at a new school with a new friend and colleague, Morgan Fierst. She is MUCH younger than I am . Hipper than I am. She has more energy than I do. She has great relationships with students. Morgan inspires me. Each day, my lessons are so much better because I spend time planning with Morgan. She thinks of things I never would think of and both our students benefit. Because of Sonja last year and Morgan this year – I get a lot of attention for things that would never have happened without them. Last year I told Sonja we should do a 3.14 mile walk around Lake Calhoun on Pi Day and invite others. Over 150 people showed up to celebrate Pi Day with Sonja and I (and so did the local news). This year I sent Mogan a video about a backwards bike (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MFzDaBzBlL0 ) and she built a bike like the one in the video. This bike is now at our school and you will find Morgan and I trying to learn to ride it if you show up during the lunch hour or after school. I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE A PROFESSIONAL BY FINDING COWORKERS WHO CHALLENGE YOU BE BETTER VERSION OF YOURSELF. 
  
• I have been a member of MCTM and NCTM since 1991. I have attended at least one math conference every year since I entered the profession, usually at my own expense. I would not be the teacher I am today if I had not become connected to the MCTM community. Teaching is one of the most isolating jobs and I have found hanging out with teachers from other schools and districts to be invaluable. I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE A PROFESSIONAL BY MAKING IT A PRIORITY TO ATTEND MATHEAMTICS CONFERENCES EVERY YEAR. (Mark your calendars. I hope to see you up in Duluth April 29-30^th, 2016 for the spring MCTM conference).
• I eat lunch with the math teachers in my school every day. EVERY day. EVERY day. Sure, I have lots of other things I could be doing with my time, but time connecting with my department is more important than any of the other things I could be doing. I learn from them each day. This is part of being a professional. At most sites I’ve worked at I’ve gone out for breakfast every week with the most amazing teachers at my site I know. These informal get-togethers have been invaluable. I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE A PROFESSIONAL BY TAKING TIME TO SPEND WITH OTHER MATH TEACHERS ON A REGUALR BASIS.
• The easiest way for me to lesson plan and connect with hundreds of math teachers every day in the last 3 years has been through Twitter. Currently I commit at least 10 minutes a day to it. Through twitter I have found the best math teaching resources (the kind other teachers ask “Where did you get that” – to which my answer is always ‘Twitter’) for my classroom. Through twitter I have made friends with math teachers in districts and states different than my own. Through Twitter I am connected to real time information on what is new in math teaching. If I were not on Twitter I would not have read books by Jose Luis Vuiton and Cathy Humphries this year. Without Twitter I would not be the Desmos user I am today. I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE A PROFESSIONAL BY JOINING THE MBToS COMMUNITY ON TWITTER.
• Tough I really dislike giving up my classroom to a student teacher; I have had over 100 practicum students and 15 student teachers in my classroom in the last 24 years. In addition I’ve probably had over 500 people informally or formally observe my classroom over the years. I have learned more about my own teaching through their observations than they could have possibly learned from me. They have provided a mirror for me to look at my own practice. I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE A PROFESSIONAL BY INVITING STUDENT TEACHERS AND OTHERS INTO YOUR CLASSROOM.
• I spend as much time planning my lessons as I did 24 years ago. I have become an expert on the technology and tools of mathematics teaching – despite being old enough to have gone to college with a typewriter.   I read journals, books and blogs consistently to work on improving my practice. I am not done learning how to be a better math teacher. I never will be. I am a lifelong learner. I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE PROFESSIONAL BY BEING A LIFELONG LEARNER. DON’T BE SATISFIED WITH YOUR LESSONS FROM THE PAST.
• Because I believe I am responsible for EVERY student, not just the ones in my classroom, I openly share almost everything I create. I am currently working on opening a Google Site which will house my most requested items. If a teacher in my school asks to use my supplies or a worksheet I’ve created, I always do. I also send out things I’ve created to my districts list serve if I think others may find it useful. If I find a video, article or book I love, I share the information. I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE BOLD AND SHARE EVERYTHING YOU CREATE IN YOUR CLASSROOM WITH OTHERS. I am so thankful to the numerous teachers who have shared their great stuff with me.
• I CHALLENGE YOU TO BE A PROFESSIONAL BY BEING LIKE MY FRIEND ABIR.
• Lastly, and this is the big one – early in my career I figured out that if I waited for other educators to come and connect with me I would be waiting forever. If I waited for a principal or other leader to come and ask me how they could support me, I would be waiting forever. In every setting I have worked in I have set it as a priority to build a community of professionals around me. I leave my classroom every day to walk into the classroom of another teacher. Every day. I invite teachers out for coffee. Though I am an introvert I walk up to educators I don’t know at my school and at conferences and work on connecting with them. When I am struggling, I ask for help. I have made it a lifelong priority for teaching to connect with other teachers – both old and new. We are all in this together. I CHALLENGE YOU TO TAKE THE TIME EVERYDAY TO CONNECT WITH OTHER EDUCATORS. DON’T WAIT TO BE INVITED. BE THE INITIATOR.
• Again, the only thing I can control in teaching is my own actions. As a professional I am committed to seeing that EVERY student’s success in learning mathematics is my responsibility. I am committed to

In an excellent mathematics program, educators hold themselves and their colleagues accountable for the mathematical success of every student and for personal and collective professional growth toward effective teaching and learning of mathematics. Professionals who are responsible for students’ mathematics learning are never satisfied with their accomplishments and are always working to increase the impact that they have on their students’ mathematics learning. Moreover, they cultivate and support a culture of professional collaboration and continual improvement that is driven by an abiding sense of interdependence and collective responsibility

Thanks to all that read this far. I’d love to hear from you. What do you think? Tweet me @saravdwerf or email me at sarav@mpls.k12.mn. What does the word ‘PROFESSIONALS’ mean to you. Thank you for being part of MCTM’s community of professionals.